Automatic adjusting mechanism for synchronous apparatus



April 14, 1925 1,533,319

0. E. KELLUM AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR SYNCHRONOUS APPARATUS Filed Nov. 20 1920 f 50 M L: a2 5/ i4 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

1,533,31e PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO E. KELLUM, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR SYNCHRONOUS APPARATUS.

Application filed November 20, 1920.

T b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO E. KELLUM, a citizen of the United States, residing in Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Adjusting .llitllillllSlll for Synchronous Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with apparatus for automatically adjusting synchronously operating mechanisms so that the results produced by the mechanisms are in perfect synchronism.

Apparatus comprising a synchronous phonograph and kinetograph affords an apparatus in connection with which the present invention may be advantageously employed. For purpose of illustration and to facilitate in setting forth my invention, I am herein specifying it as being embodied in a synchronous phonograph" and kinetograph apparatus, it being understood, however, that such disclosure does not ac'tto limit the scope of the invention nor to restrict it to application to any particular apparatus or combination of mechanisms.

In the operation of a synchronous phono-.

lost with the result that the results of, or

produced by the phonograph and kinetograph will be out of synchronism after passing the point where the kinetograph film was broken if the mechanisms of the apparatus are maintained in synchronism and in fixed relative position. Ordinary kinetograph film is broken and repaired more or less after being in operation, while phonograph records, unless completely destroyed or worn out, remain exactly as they were when first made. As a result of this a phonograph record and a kinetograph film taken together canonly be satisfactorily 'operated together in a suitable synchronous phonograph and kinetograph apparatus so long as they are in the exact condition they were when made, or so long as the length of the kinetograph film. is unchanged.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or mechanism in connection with a. synchronous phonograph and kine'tograph apparatus to automatically ad just the synchronous phonograph and kinetograph mechanisms to compensate for-broken Serial No. 426,108.

or repaired place in the kinetograph film so that the results, or actions, of the phonograph and kinetograph mechanisms are maintained in perfect synchronism. In carrying out this object of the invention means are provided for automatically varying or adjusting the relative positioning of the phonograph and kinetograph mechanisms, at the points of operation where the repaired portions of the kinetograph film come into operation, to cause the action of the phonograph mechanism and the action of the kinetograph mechanism immediately after passing said points to be in proper synchronism.

A distinctive feature of the invention is the novel, simple and efiective apparatus or mechanism provided for carrying out the invention in a simple and inexpensive manner. The mechanism provided to carry out the invention is particularly simple and inexpensive, is adjustable or regulatable so that the phonograph and kinetograph mechanisms can be relatively adjusted at any desired point or points and is particularly effective and accurate in its operation.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and'more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical embodiment of the invention, throughout which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. 1 is a general view of a synchronous phonograph and kinetograph apparatus em bodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the kinetograph mechanism, being a view showing the film and film carrier of the kinetograph and the intermittent movement mechanism; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated by line 3-3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by line H on Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional viewtaken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. 1.

Throughout the drawings numeral 10 designates a typical phonograph mechanism and numeral 11 designates a typical kinetograph mechanism. The mechanism which is adapted to operate the record 13 of the phonograph, is arranged to be driven by a shaft 14 operated by a motor 15 The film 16 of the kinetograph is carried in a suitable carrier or frame 17 and is adapted to be intermittently advanced or moved through the kinetograph by an intermittent movement mechanism 18 operated by a synchronous motor 19- The synchronous motor 19 is adapted to be operated, or controlled in operation, from the shaft 14 so that the phonograph mechanism 10 and kinetograph mechanism 11 will operate in synchronism. In the particular form of construction shown in the drawings the synchronous motor 19 is an electric motor comprising a plurality of solenoids 20, the energization of which is controlled by a commutator mechanism 21 mounted on the shaft 14. A suitable source of electrical energy or a battery B has one side'connected to each of the solenoids of the motor 19 by a wire 27. The other side of the battery B is connected with the brush carrier 28 of the commutator mechanism 21 by a wire 29. The brush carrier 28 carries brushes 30 adapted to cooperate with contacts 31 carried on a disk-like carrier 32 mounted on the shaft 14. The carrier 32 is not mounted directly on the shaft but is insulated from the shaft by a sleeve 33 of insulating material. Each of the contacts 31 is connected through a wire 34 with a ring 35 mounted on a carrier 36. The carriers 36 are preferably formed of insulating material and are mounted on the sleeve 33 in in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A plurality of brushes 37 are mounted on a suitable insulatin bracket 38 so that each one engages a ring 35. The brushes 37 are individually connected with the solenoids 20 of the motor 19 by separate wires 40 in the manner clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. From inspection of the drawings it will be obvious how the rotation of the carrier 32, due to its being mounted on shaft 14, causes the contacts 31 to be successively moved into engagement with the brushes 30, thereby causing energization of the various solenoids 20 at such times and in such order as to cause them to rotate the crank shaft 41 of the motor 19 and thereby cause actuation of the kinetograph mechanism 11. lVith the apparatus and mechanism hereinbefore described a phonograph record 13 and a kinetograph film 16 taken together can be projected or actuated together and in perfect synchronism. It may be stated that the apparatus hereinsofar set forth is intended as typical apparatus of this character and that the invention is in no way limited or restricted to this specific form or construction of apparatus as it may be well and advantageously employed or embodied in connection with various other forms of apparatus of this general character.

The present invention provides mechanism or apparatus fo use in connection with the apparatus above set forth so that the relative positioning of the phonograph mechanism 10 and the kinetograph mechanism 11 may be varied or changed to compensate for variations or changes made in the length of the kinetograph film 16. Tn accordance with the invention the brush carrier 28 is rotatably supported in a suitable bearing bracket 43 and is formed with a central bore 44 which rotatablv carries the shaft 14. This construction permits of the carrier 28 being rotated relative to the shaft 14 and bearing bracket 43 so as to vary the positions of the brushes 30 relative to the contacts 31 and thereby vary the relative positioning between the shaft 14 and the motor 19, or between the phonograph mechanism 10 and the kinetograph mechanism 11. With the contact carrier 32 rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4 rotation of the carrier 28 in the same direction enough to change it from its original position will temporarily retard the movement of the kinetograph mechanism 11 so that the phonograph and kinetograph mechanism will be in different relative positions even though they will continue to operate in synchronism.

Tn the preferred form of the invention ratchet teeth 45 are formed on the brush carrier 28 to be engaged by a pawl 46 adapted to be actuated by a solenoid 47. The pawl 46 is pivotally connected at 48 to a rod 49 which extends from the core 50 of the solenoid and is adapted to be held in engagement with the ratchet teeth 45 by a suitable spring 51 mounted on the rod 49. The core 50 of the solenoid is normally held up and in engagement with the casing 52 of the solenoid by a spring 53 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Upon energization of the solenoid the core 50 is moved downwardly thereby causing the brush carrier 28 to be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, due to the cooperative action between the pawl 46 and ratchet 45. The solenoid 47 is adapted to be energized by a battery 54, one side of which is connected with the solenoid by wire 55 and the other side of which is connected to a plate 56 by wire 57. The plate 56 is mounted on insulating blocks 58 and is arranged parallel with a screw 59 which forms a continuation of the shaft 14. The screw 59 is electrically connected with the other side of the solenoid 47 by a suitable wire 60. A nut 61 is carried on the screw 59 and carries a brush 62 adapted to engage pins 63 which extend from the plate 56. It will be understood how the circuit from the battery 54 through the solenoid 47 is closed when the brush 62 engages'a pin 63, thereby cause ing energization of the solenoid and actuation of the brush-carrier 28 in the manner above described. The pins 63 are removably' carried in the holes 64 formed in the plate 56 so that they can be arranged at suitable intervals along the plate 56 to cause actuation of the solenoid 47 and brush carrier 28 at various times during the passage of the nut 61 from one end=of the screw 59 to the other.

In the preferred form of construction the nut 61 comprisesa lower section 65 to which is pivotally connected at 66 an upper section 67. The two sections 65 and 67 are adapted to be clamped together on the screw 59 by a bolt 68 pivotally connected at 69 to the lower section 65 and adapted to be swung into a slot 70 in the upper section 67 and to have a wing nut 71 screw threaded on it in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 6. \Vith i this form of nut 61 it is possible to adjust or position the nut 61 to any desired point along the length of the screw 59 and to very conveniently return the nut to the starting end of the screw after it has completed its movement.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious how the relative positioning of the phonograph mechanism 10 and kinetograph mechanism 11 may be varied from time to time as the apparatus is in operation and it will be understood how such variations may be made to'take place at any predetermined or desired times during the operation of the apparatus by proper arrangement and spacing of the pins 63 in the plate 56. If the kinetograph film 16 which is being used in the apparatus has been broken and repaired at one or more places pins 63 may be arranged in the place-56 at points corresponding to the points where the film has been broken so that the kinetograph mechanism 11 will be retarded or set back in position relative to the phonograph as the repaired parts of the film are reached during the operation of the kinetograph apparatus. It will be readily understood how the various parts and portions of the apparatus may be so arranged and proportioned that one actuation of the solenoid 47 will cause the kinetograph mechanism to be set back a definite predetermined amount relative to the phonograph, and how the film 1-6 may have been repaired so that a definite predetermined amount of the film, a certain number of pictures on the film, have been removed at each point of repair. With these factors properly balanced and proportioned the kinetograph mechanism 11 may be retarded relative to the phonograph 10 just I in proportion as pictures have been removed from; thefilmgw-here it has been repaired so that the synchronous relation between the phonograph 10 and kinetograph 11 is not broken or disturbed from the time the action of the apparatus is started until the time it is finished. In the particular form of apparatus shown in the drawings the film 16 is adapted to be moved the length of sixteen pictures upon every revolution of the crank shaft 41 of the motor 19 and the solenoid 47 1s adapted to move the brush carrier 28 one-sixteenth of a revolution every time it is energized. With this proportioning of parts if one picture is removed or cut out at each point of repair in the film and if pins 63 are properly arranged or spaced in the plate 56 the kinetograph mechanism 11 will be retarded relative to the phonograph mechanism 10 an amount equal to one picture every time a broken portion of the film comes into operation. It will be understood, however, that any desired .proportioning or arrangement may be employed and that the one herein set forth is merely typical and for purpose of illustration.

It may be stated that the pitch of the screw 59 may be varied under various circumstances so that the nut 61 will travel or advance at the desired and proper speed. In the particular apparatus shown in the drawings there is only one screw 59 pitched so that the nut 61 will travel its length during the action of the apparatus. In view of the fact that the nut 61 will travel at a uniform rate and that it is at a certain predetermined point along the screw 59 at any certain predetermined pointor time during the operation of the apparatus, the pictures on the film can be numbered and a scale 80 can be effectively arranged parallel with the screw 59 so that a pointer 81,- extending from the section 65 of the nut 61, will indicate exactly what picture of the'film is being projected at any time during the operation of the apparatus. In other words, the scale 80 can have a mark to correspond with each picture on the film 16 so that theoperator can easily and accurately determine exactly which picture is being projected at any given time. The scale 80 is also useful in locating the pins 63. For instance, if a certain picture is removed during a repair of the film the nut 61 may be arranged along the scale to a point corresponding to that picture and a pin 63 may beplaced in the plate 56 so that it will contact with the brush 62 when the nut reaches that point as it is moving along the screw.

It will be understood-of coiirse that the various parts of the apparatus may be provided with starting points so that the .operator can easily and conveniently set the various mechanisms in their prpper relative positions for starting. For instance, a starting point 81 is provided on the phonograph apparatus to correspond with a starting point 82 on the record 13., a starting point '83 is provided on one of the brushes 30 to correspond with a starting point 84: on one of the contacts 31, a starting point 85 may be provided on the film carrying frame 12 to correspond with a starting point 86 on the film 16, and a zero point may be marked on the scale 80 to aline with the pointer 81.

In the preferred form of construction a slot 90 is formed through the scale and a screw 91 extends from the pointer 81 loosely through the slot in the manner shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. This construction prevents rotation of the nut 61 with the screw 59, such as might occur if it were not ositively held against such movement. *urther, indentations are preferably provided in brush carrier 28 to correspond in number with the ratchet teeth 45 and a round headed pin 96 is pressed by a spring 97-into the notches 95 as they come opposite'it to hold the brush carrier against rotation with the shaft 14.

Having set forth only a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the ,art or that may fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. In combination two mechanism-1s, means for connecting the mechanisms to operate in synchronism comprising a commutator mechanism, and means for actuat ing the commutator mechanism during operation of said two mechanisms to change the relative operating positions of said two mechanisms, said last mentioned means comprising, an electric circuit, a solenoid mechanism in the circuit and having operative connection with the commutator mechanism, and means controlled by virtue of movement of one of the mechanisms to control energization of the solenoid circuit.

2. In combination two mechanisms, means forconnecting said two mechanisms to operate in synchronism comprising a commutator mechanism, and means for actuating the commutator mechanism during operation ofjsaidtwo mechanisms to change the relative operating positions of the said two mechanisms, said last mentioned means comprising a pawl and ratchetmechanism in connection with the commutator mechanism, an electric circuit, a solenoid in the circuit and adapted to actuate the pawl and ratchet mechanism, and adjustable means controlled in actuation by virtue of movement of one offthe mechanisms to control energization of the solenoid circuit.

'3. In combination, 7 two mechanisms. means for-operating one of the mechanisms from. and in synchronism with the other. said'means, complisi-ngfat commutator and a motor controlledgby the commutator, and means for automatically changing the relative opera-ting positions of the said two mechanisms at any predetermined point of operation of-the mechanisms, said last men- .tioned means comprising a solenoid mechanism in connection with the commutator, an electric circuit for the solenoid, and means for controlling the circuit embodying a contact adapted to be moved by operation of one of the said two mechanisms and a stationary contact adapted to cooperate with the first mentioned contact.

4. In combination two mechanisms, means for connecting the two mechanisms to operate in synchronism, saidmeans comprising a commutator operated by one mechanism and a'motor driving the other mechanism and controlled in action. by the commutator, the commutator comprising a retating part and a relatively stationary part, and means for changing the relative posi' tioning of the two mechanisms while they are in operation, said means comprising a pawl and ratchet mechanism adapted to be actuated to vary the position of the relatively stationary part of the commutator. electro magnetic means for actuating the pawl and ratchet mechanism, and means controlled'by virtue of movement of one of the mechanisms to control energization of the solenoid circuit.

5. In combination two mechanisms, means for connecting the mechanisms to operate in synchronism, said means comprising a commutator operated by one mechanism and a motor driving the other mechanism and controlled in action by the commutator, the commutator comprising a part. rotated by the first mentioned mechanism and. a part rotatively adjustable relative to the rotated part, and yielding means for normally holding the adjustable part against rotation, a pawl and'ratchet mechanism in connection with the adjustable part and adapted to be actuated to rotate said part a predetermined amount, a solenoid for actuating the pawl and ratchet mechanism. an electric circuit for the solenoid, and means for closing the circuit at any prede termined point during the operation of the mechanisms to actuate the solenoid, said last mentioned means comprising a screw adapted to be rotated when the mechanisms are in operatiom a split nut on the screw. means to hold the nut against rotation with the screw, and an adjustable contact arranged to be engaged by the nut when the nut reaches a predetermined point on the screw.

6. In combination with two mechanisms, a connnutator driven by one and a motor driving the other and controlled by the commutator, and 'means controlled by virtue of the operation of one of the mechanisms to vary the action of the commutator with reference to the mechanism that drives it.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name.

, ORLANDO KELLUM. 

